3 Takeaways: Islanders Salvage Point in 4-3 OT Loss to Red Wings 

The Islanders salvaged a point in a 4-3 OT loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night at UBS Arena, extending their point streak to three games, despite ending their two-game win streak. 

Casey Cizikas and Brock Nelson built a 2-0 lead that stood through 47:55, but Jake Walman (1G, 1A), Daniel Sprong and J.T. Compher (1G,1A) powered an offensive burst for the Red Wings in the final frame to take the 3-2 lead. Bo Horvat found the back of the net to force overtime, but Lucas Raymond (GWG, 1A) buried the overtime tally. 

“When you have a 2-0 lead, there's a certain way our team has to play, we have to keep pushing,” Head Coach Lane Lambert said. “But we deviated from that and it’s not a recipe for success for us.”  

Ilya Sorokin turned aside 32 of 36 shots in the loss, while Ville Husso made 37 saves in the win.  

With the loss, New York also ended an eight-game win streak on home ice against the Red Wings that dated back to Feb. 9, 2018. The Islanders allowed three goals in the third period for the first time of the season. 

“It’s not acceptable, especially at home to give up three unanswered in the third,” Noah Dobson said after the loss. “We’ll take the positive of getting the point, but we got to do a better job and get the two points. We’ll learn from that and move forward.”

ISLES BUILD AND LOSE 2-0 LEAD, FELL IN OT 

The Islanders built a 2-0 lead in the span of 2:26 of gameplay with goals from Casey Cizikas and Brock Nelson, but Detroit came back with vengeance in the third period. 

Daniel Sprong ripped a shot past Sorokin from the slot to get the Red Wings on the board and Jake Walman tacked onto that lead 1:40 later, burying a shot through traffic to knot the game at two. 

“We just had a couple mistakes in third period in the D-zone,” Lambert said. “They capitalized on those and made some good plays.” 

Detroit entered the game as one of the top offensive teams in the NHL averaging four goals per game and several snipers in their lineup, and those qualities made a strong re-appearance in the final frame to take their first lead. J.T. Compher positioned himself next to the net to stuff in a Moritz Seider shot to take a 3-2 lead.

“We knew they were going to come hard,” Cizikas said. “But we have to be crisp with our plays and we don't turn pucks over. That's where they got their chances. That's where they got their zone time.” 

After coughing up three goals in the third, the Islanders showed some fight in their response, finding a goal on the power play to force overtime. With the man advantage in the final five minutes of regulation, Bo Horvat took a slap shot that beat Husso to tie the score to ultimately force the extra frame. 

Ilya Sorokin made a highlight-reel save on Alex DeBrincat in early in overtime to keep the Islanders alive in the extra frame, but the Red Wings ultimately got the edge with Raymond converting on a give-and-go with Compher

“That last one is on me, I just couldn't get a hold of it and it's too bad that [Sorokin] has no chance on it,” Horvat said. “Pretty much all those goals he had no chance on. So that one’s on us, he’s been unbelievable for so long and we have to be better in front of him.” 

In his sixth start of the year, Sorokin made 32 saves in the overtime loss and carries a record of 3-1-2 on the season. 

“Sorokin is who I feel the worst for,” Cizikas said. “He stands on his head every single night and gives us a chance to win every single night, and we let him down.”

SPECIAL TEAMS STAND OUT 

Special teams fueled the earned point against Detroit. 

The Islanders’ penalty kill went 2-for-2 on the night including their first shorthanded goal of the season, while their power play went 1-for-2. 

“The special teams were good tonight,” Lane Lambert said. “The penalty was good, especially with that shorthanded goal. The power play came up with a huge goal, which they needed. Those are timely situations.” 

Cizikas was robbed by Husso with a glove at the end of the first period at the buzzer, but the energetic centerman made up for it in the middle frame with a shorthanded tally. After a few calls didn’t go their way, the Islanders channeled that frustration into a productive and timely opening goal. Cizikas battled for puck possession and rushed down the boards, moving in on Husso and going five-hole to break the ice. 

“I was tight to the goalie and tight to the net,” Cizikas said. “When you’re coming in with that much speed, the goalie expects you’ll go into the far post and that maybe opens up the five-hole a little bit.” 

The power play came up big in the third period when the Islanders were down 3-2. Horvat ripped a shot from the high slot to knot the score at three. 

“It was a great play by everybody,” Horvat said. “For Nelson to stop that hard rim, and for Dobson to get over and for Barzal to put it in my wheelhouse, and I tried to get it off as quickly as possible.” 

Despite the sting of taking one point instead of two, the bright spot is the one point salvaged in the contest.  

“That's something positive that we can take from this game,” Cizikas said. “We kept fighting to the very end and our powerplay got a big goal. You never know how important that one point is going to be at the end of the season.”

CIZIKAS EXTENDS POINT STREAK TO THREE GAMES 

With the opening goal of the game, Cizikas extended his point streak to three games (1G, 2A), marking his first three-game point streak since March 4-9, 2023. .

Cizikas scored his second goal of the season on a night where he moved further up in the Islanders history books. 

He played his 753rd game of his career – all as an Islander – on Monday, taking sole possession of ninth place on the all-time games played list, passing Mike Bossy.

Cizikas’ tally also marked his 99th career goal and second of the season.

NEXT GAME

The Islanders will hit the road again to take on the Washington Capitals on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.